In Another Life
by FrostyTheDragon
Summary: What if Kami had heard Kakashi's prayer?


It is said that when someone is in their hour of greatest need, Kami will turn her blessed attention up them. She hears the prayer of the soul, for even though the spoken word may change, the soul is truth. This means that, whether a prayer has been spoken or not, Kami may answer it. Now, she heard a prayer that she knew would be answered.

_Give me the power to save my friend, my brother._

* * *

Kakashi Hatake howled to the skies as the hideout crumbled, burying his dearest friend, his teammate, his _brother_ alive. He screamed his fury, his anguish, his heart break to the heavens in hope that Kami or some other being may hear it. What Kakashi didn't realize, a god had heard is pleas.

He stood, his hands moving of their own accord. "Rin! Get back!"

In his mind, he saw the jutsu. He could feel the power arcing through his body as the hand signs completed. "Lightning Style: Judgement Storm!"

His scream was answered. Clouds gathered overhead out of nowhere. Black clouds filled with destructive power. They could see lightning flowing through the clouds like the blood through veins.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt of unparalleled magnificence thundered down from the heavens, guided by the divine will of Kami. It struck the boulders that covered his teammate, shattering them instantly into dust. He could feel his chakra draining quickly, but he pressed onwards. He knew that this would cost him dearly. He knew that his life was at risk.

He didn't care.

Rin screamed his name, but he remained deaf to her pleas. He had to save Obito, even if he died in the process. He had abandoned him, left him to die.

_Those who abandon the rules are scum_, Kakashi remembered saying.

Even now, he could clearly see Obito's glare. _Yeah? Well those who abandon their friends are worse than scum!_

"I won't abandon you!" Kakashi roared. He poured all his might into the jutsu, pouring more even when his chakra was near dry.

"Kakashi, stop!" Rin screamed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You'll kill him!"

The jutsu ended as suddenly as it began, disappearing as if nothing happened. He fell to his knees as Rin rushed past to the blacked-out Obito. The boulders, the entire hideout, was no more. It had been blasted away by the lightning, leaving only the three of them unscathed. Before he blacked out, Kakashi felt a single tear run down his face as he saw Obito open his eye.

* * *

Kakashi snapped from his reverie as the office door opened. Obito stepped in with a sigh, flinging his hat onto the couch. The Hokage soon followed, the kanji for Godaime Hokage still proudly displayed.

"You know, you should really treat that with more care," Kakashi chuckled.

Obito yelped and nearly jumped out of the seat he had just begun to get comfortable in. He glared at Kakashi with his one remaining eye, but quickly relented in favor of a soft smile. "Yeah, but after a council meeting, it makes you want to leave the position quite quickly."

"Hiruzen-sama wouldn't have placed you here if he didn't think you could handle it," Kakashi said, taking a seat facing Obito. "Besides, I didn't want to do it."

"Don't remind me," Obito chuckled. There was a soft knock at the door. "Come in!"

Rin poked her head through and immediately smiled. "Hey you guys! How's Hokage business?"

In lieu of an answer, Obito just grumbled something profane and pulled a bottle of sake from his desk drawer. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him. Rin just grabbed the bottle and threw it out the open window where it went well past the wall.

"No drinking on the job!" she scolded, wagging a finger at her husband. "You need to sign these papers here and look through the genin files for potential chunins."

Obito's eye opened wide with fear as if he had seen his own death coming for him. "No, please," he begged. "No more paperwork!"

Kakashi smiled and waved, standing to leave. He stood stiff as a board as something grabbed a hold of his leg. Upon him gazing down, the jonin was met with the pudgy, whiskered face of his mentor's son. "Hey Naruto."

The baby opened up his arms and squealed in delight as Kakashi leaned down and picked him up. Rin giggled and Obito smiled at him. Despite all the gruff that Kakashi was famous for, his weakness to Naruto was absolute.

"You know, maybe he can stay with you tonight?" Rin asked, giving Kakashi puppy-dog eyes. "It's been a long time since Obito and I have had some time alone."

"Say no more," Kakashi said. He looked down as Naruto curled against his chest, comfortably snoozing away. "I think I can handle him for one night."

Obito just gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

* * *

Little did Kakashi know, even he, who had faced death numerous times without so much as blinking, was weak to the screaming child on the couch with him. He cursed Obito and his stupid smile, trying to get Naruto to pay attention to the stuffed animal in his hands.

"Do you have any paternal instincts?" Anko laughed, sitting down next to him. She placed a bottle of warm milk in the child's hands and watched happily as he began to eat.

Kakashi sighed, his spirit trying to leave the mortal realm. "I just didn't realize it would be this hard. He's a little terror!"

"Yeah, but you love him," Anko smiled knowingly. "It was good of you, Obito, and Rin to adopt him."

"It was the last will of Minato-sensei," Kakashi said. He unconsciously reached up to run a finger down his ruined left eye. "You're right though. I love him like he was my own son. I want him to be great like his father. I want him to know his father. I wouldn't abandon him for the world."

"Good to know," Anko chuckled. She gave her own husband a look. "You know what?"

"Yes?" Kakashi asked, terrified of the answer.

"When he goes back to his other parents, we should make him a brother."

Kakashi spat out the tea he was sipping on, sending Naruto into a storm of laughs. He patted the mess down, giving Anko a look of his own. "You serious?"

"Why not?" she pouted. "I wanna have my own kid, mister."

He only smiled and said, "I think we can do that."

Anko smiled and leaned over, planting a long, passionate kiss on him. He surrendered to her unconditionally. Life was good.

**Hey guys! Just a little one-shot I decided to work on. I recently watched The Story of Kakashi (?) again and was inspired to write this. Tell me what you think! Thanks and have a good one!**


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